Sewing-machine.



F. ZALESKI.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 2. 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

as a? s! '1 i l-! IQ 1 Inventor.

FrcmK ZcdesKi,

F. ZALESKI.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1915.

Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

In ven'fo r. FrQnK zul'aaKi, by A'iiy's.

llldt rs nnr rate FRANK ZALESKI, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE REECE BUTTON HOLE MACHINE COMPANY, BQ$TQN, MASSAGHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

sn wrNe-MAo INE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

Application filed November 2, 1915. Serial No. 59,312.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK ZA-LESKI, a Patents:

subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Somerville, county of Midd-lesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Sewing-Machines, of which the following description, in' connection With the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing'representing like parts.

This invention relates to sewingumachines and has for its object to provide novel means for holding, the needle thread at the beginning of the stitching operation so as to insure the proper formation of the first stitch. My invention provides a mechanism' for thus holding theend of the needle thread at the beginning of the stitching operation which operates beneath the workand clamps the needle thread on the under face of the work. The thread-clampingmeans is constructed so that when the machine is set in operation and the needle makes its first penetrating thrust through the work thereby to carry the end of the needle thread through the work, said thread- 1 clamping device will seize the. endof the needle thread as the needle is withdrawn and hold said thread while the needle is retracted and while the next succeeding stitches are being made. The operator is thus entirely relieved from the duty of ho1d-- will be situated on the undersidenfahe work rather than on the. top of the work;

The presence of projeetingend of thread on the top face of the work is often objection'atle because the top face 1s frequently the finished'face and .to make a finished} product requires the cutting by hand'o-f any projectingthreadends.

My invention isjc'apable of being used with sewing machines of 1 different types,-

and'in order. toillustrate it, I have chosen to show it herein'as'it m ght be applled to a buttonholesewing machine of the so No. 655,637, August 7, 1900; 5

No. 1,030,589, June 25, 1912.

Iwish to state, however, that the invention is not limited in its use to sewing machines of this particular type, as with suit able modifications, it can be applied to a variety of different types of sewing machines. r

I will first describe the selected embodiment of the invention herein illustrated and then point out the noved features of the invention in the appended claims.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a partial transverse sectional view through a buttonhole sewing machine of the so-called Reece type, the section being taken through the frame to show the under thread mechanism Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view taken at right angles to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the base frame of the machine with the work-clamping plates removed thereby showing the under thread mechanism in plan view;

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are diagram views showing the operation of my improved thre'adclamping device. 7

'As stated above, my invention relates to a'thread clamping device situated beneath. the work support of a sewing machine andinjposition to seize'and hold the end'of the needle thread which is inserted through the work upon the first penetrating thrust of the needle when the stitching operation isbegun, thereby holding the thread from beneath the work while the first few stitches are being formed. VVhei-e the invention. is used in connection with a two-thread sew ing'machine, that is, a: sewing machine" whichZ-has both upper thread mechanism and'l'ower thread. mechanism, is may asso- 9b .called Beeoejtype,examples of which may ciatedwith the, under thread mechanism;

In buttonhole sewing machines of this type, the under thread mechanism is mounted upon a rotatable turret or support which is rotated as the stitching is carried around the ends of the buttonhole, and in the illustrated embodiment of my invention the thread clamp is mounted on this rotatable turret, means being provided to actuate the thread clamp to seize the end of the needle thread which is carried through the work by the first penetrating thrust of the needle.

Before describing the thread-clamping device in detail I will refer briefly to the principal elements of the sewing machine herein illustrated and to which the invention is applied.

1 indicates a portion of the main frame of the sewing machine which is provided with the usual overhanging arm 2 in which reciprocates a neeedle bar 3 carrying the needle 4 of the upper thread-handling mechanism. Thelower or under thread-handling mechanism is mounted on a rotatable turret or stock 5, as usual in buttonhole sewing machines of this class, said stock being mounted for rotation in bearings 6 and 7 carried by a depending portion 8 of the main frame 1. This under thread-handling mechanism comprises the usual under needle 9 which is 0scillated back and forth through a throatplate 10 carried by the turret or rotatable stock 5, and a looper 11 which also has an oscillatory movement and which operates to enter and open the loop of upper needle thread, which has been inserted through the fabric by the penetrating thrust of the upper needle 4, and to hold said loop open while the lower needle 9 passes therethrough. The needle 9 is shown as sustained in a needle carrier 12 which is pivotally mounted at 13 upon the turret, said needle carrier having an arm 14 rigid therewith which is connected by a link 15 to an actuating rod or shaft 16 that reciprocates through bearings formed in the rotatable turret or stock 5 and is situated axially thereof. The looper 11 is sustained by a looper carrier 17 which is also actuated from the shaft or bar 16, all as usual in sewing machines of this character and as set forth in the above-mentioned patents.

It will be understood, of course, that in the operation of the machine, the under needle is advanced upwardly through the fabric, thus carrying a loop of under thread to the upper side of the fabric, and the upper needle then descends through the loop of under thread and the under needle is retracted, and that the looper 11 then enters the loop of upper thread as the upper needle 4 is retracted and carries said 100p into position tobe entered by the under needle 9 upon 7 itsnext forward movement, this operation being-repeated so that the upper and under threads are'con catenate d in the usual manner provided for by two-thread sewing machines of this character. During the stitching of the buttonhole, the upper and under thread-handling mechanisms are rotated so as to carry the stitching around the ends of the buttonhole, and in the construction herein illustrated, this rotative movement is provided for bymeans of pinions 18 and 19 secured to the needle bar and turret 5, respectively, said pinions meshing with segmental gears 20 and 21 that are carried by a vertically-extending shaft 22. Suitable inecha nism, not shown, is provided for turning the shaft 22, thereby to turn the upper and under thread-handling mechanisms as required to effect thestitching around the ends of a buttonhole. I

220 designates work-holding plates on which the work is supported and 23 are the usual work clamps by which the work is clamped to the work-holding plates 220. 24. is the buttonhole-cutting element which is shown as pivotally mounted to the main frame at 25. 'This element is provided with a cutting knife 270 which cooperates with an 90 anvil 26 to cut the buttonhole, and in the construction shown, the anvil is sustained upon a supporting member 27 which is pivotally mounted at 28 to the frame so that it can move from the dotted to the full line position Fig. 2. The dotted line position shows the inoperative position of the anvil and the full line position shows the operative position which it occupies while the buttonhole is being cut. The anvil is moved from its inoperative to its operative position by means of a cam finger 280 carried by a shaft 29, said shaft being oscillated in timed relation with the operation of the sewing machine to cause the anvil to be thrown into its operative position shown in full lines Fig. 2 at the time that the buttonhole is to be cut.

In the operation of sewing machines of this type it is customary to cut the button- 1 hole before the stitching operation.

In operating the machine the operator places the work beneath the work clamp 23 and then sets the machine in operation. The

work clamps are closed onto the work and the anvil is moved into its operative position and the cutter 24 is operated to cut the buttonhole. The work-holding plates 220 and work clamps 23 with the work clamped between them, and the stitch-forming mechanism are moved relative to each other to bring the slit of the buttonhole in position to have the over-edge stitches formed thereon by the stitch-forming mechanism, and the stitch-forming mechanism is then started. thereby to-form the over-edge stitches, dur ing which time the upper and under threadhandling mechanisms are turned .to effect the stitching around the buttonhole.

The above is a'brief reference to the 0011- thread i which is inserted through the work upon the first penetrating thrust of the needle and to hold this end while the first stitches are being formed. In the present embodiment of my invention this thread holder and clamp comprises relatively-fixed and movable thread-clamping members car ried by the rotatable turret or stock 5, and means for opening or separating saidmemhers when the machine is setin operation, and then for releasingsaid members so that they close together just after the upper needle at has made its first penetrating thrust.

sothat the end of the needle thread t car ried through the work bysuch penetrating thrust will be gripped between the threadholding members and held while the stitch ing operation continues. Any suitable means may be employed for opening or separating the thread-clamping members and then for clamping them together again which is properly actuated from some moving part of the machine in timed relation with the operation of the needle 4.

In the illustrated embodiment of my in vention the movable thread-clamping memher is shown at 30 and it'issituated directly beneath the throat-plate -10. The fixed clamping member may be any fixed element with which the movable member 30 can 00- operate. In the construction shown I provide the stem 32 of the throat-plate with a fixed clamping face 31 with which the element 30 cooperates to clamp the upper thread t.

In order to provide for moving the relatively-movable clamping member 30 toward and from the fixed clamping face 31, I propose to mount the member 30 on an arm 33 which is herein shown asfp'ivoted at 34 to a plate 35 secured to the stock or turret 5. This arm '33 is acted upon by a suitable spring 36 which tends to swing said arm into'a position to hold the relatively-movable thread-clamping member in its threadclamping 'or operative position.

The thread-clamping memberBO is socon-l structed and arrangedthat when it is in its operative position against thejfixedfl clamping face 31, it occupies a position at-oneside of the path of movement of the upper needle 4, as shown in Figs. 4 and '7,"while when it is in its open position it occupies a position at the opposite side of the'path of'theneedle 4, as shown in Fig. 5. p

The operation of the threadclamping member 30is illustrate-d diagrammatically in Figs ato 7 Before themachinle is set in operation the thread-clamping member 30 is in its operative position, 'shown in Fig. 4, and the needle 4 is raised. WVhen the machine is set in operation the thread-clamping member is moved into its open position shown in Fig. 5 before the needle 4 makes its first penetrating thrust so that when the needle makes its firstdescent it passes down between the two clamping members 30 and 31, as shown in Fig. 5. This movement of the needle carries the end t of the needle thread through the work an and betweenthe two clamping members. At this time the looper '11 is moved into the loop of needle thread, as shown in Fig. 6, and the needle a is then retracted. As the needle is retracted, the engagement of the loop of needle thread with the looperdraws the end t of thread through the work, and as soon as the needle has been retracted, the movable threadclamping member 30 is moved into its operative position thereby clamping the end if of needle thread between itself and the fixed clamping member 31., as shown in Fig. 7. The thread is held in this position while the succeeding stitches are being formed, thus insuring the properformation or the first stitch. The end't of the needle thread is located on the under side of the work w, and this is a very great advantage in many instances because the upper side of the work is usually the finished side and any project ing end of thread extending from the upper side makes an imperfection in the work which can only be remedied by cutting the end of the thread by hand.

The movable clamping member 30 may be actuated from any suitable moving part of the machine the operation of which is properly timed relative to that of the uppei needle 4 so as to open or separate the threadclamping members before the needle & makes its first penetrating thrust. In the illustrated embodiment of my invention. 1' have chosen to use the movement of the anvil carrier27 from its inoperative to its operative position for efi'ecting the opening movement ot'jthe thread-clamping members, but this might be accomplished from some other moving part of the machine without departing from the invention. I have chosen herein to actuate the thread-clamping membersfrom :the anvil carrier 27; because in the operation of the machine the anvil car d riermoves "forwardly into its sition 'beiore the stitch ng operation begins and by actuatm'g the thread clamping member30 fromthe anvil carrier 27, the open- 37 which is pivotally mounted upon a post securedto operative po the portion 8 of the machine frame, one end 39 of said lever being situated in front of the anvil carrier 27, as shown in Fig. 3. The opposite end of said lever is loosely connected to a sliding actuator 40 which is mounted to slide on guiding struts or pins 41 carried by theflange portion 42 of the frame 1. This actuator 40 is formed with slots 43 in which the studs 41 operate. The end of the actuator is bent laterally, as shown at 45, and is provided at its end with an adjustable screw 46 having a head 47 that is adapted to engage a pin or projection 48 extending from the pivoted arm 33.

The means for rotating the turret is such that when the machine is started in operation and the anvil 27 swings forward, the turret will have approximately the position shown in the drawings and the projection 48 will be in line with the head 47 of the adjusting screw 46. When the machine is started in operation and the anvil carrier 27 is moved forwardly into its full line position, it engages the end 39 of the lever 37 and swings said lever into the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby moving the actuator 40 rearwardly or to the right, Fig. 3. This movement brings the head 47 of the screw 46 against the projection 48 and swings the arm 33 about its pivot 34 thereby opening the thread clamp and carrying the movable member 30 into the position shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. Inasmuch as the upper needle 4 does not descend immediately that the anvil carrier 27 is moved forwardly, I have provided means herein for locking the thread-clamping member 30 in its open position until the stitching operation is begun. For this purpose I have provided the arm 33 with an extension 49 and have provided a swinging locking plate 50 which is pivotally mounted at 51 on the plate 35. Said plate 50 is provided with a pin or pro jection 52 that normally is situated at one side of the extension 49 and rests against the edge thereof, as shown in Fig. 1. The plate 50 is also provided with an arm 53 which-is actuated upon by a suitable spring- 54 that tends to swingsaid plate to the left,

Fig. 1. When the arm 33 is moved by the actuator 40 into the position shown in Fig. 2, the extension 49 of the arm 33 is with drawn from the projection 52 and the spring 54 then moves the plate '50 to the left, Fig. 1, thereby carrying thepin 52 behind the extension 49 and locking the thread-- clamping members open. The thread-clamping members will remain open while the anvil 26 is retracted and while the workholding mechanism is moved to bring the buttonhole into stitching position.

Means are provided for releasing the thread-clamping members during the forma tion of the first stitch-and in propertiined relation to the operation of the stitching mechanism to cause the thread clamp to seize and hold the end t of the needle l movements of the bar 16 thereby to shift the position of the plate 50 sufliciently to carry the pin 52 out from under the arm 49. The member 55 is pivotally mounted on a stud 57 carried by the bar 16 and is provided with a nose 58 situated to engage the cam projection 56 of the member 50 when the latter is in the dotted line position. This member 55 is also acted upon by a spring 59 which yieldingly holds it against a stop 60. hen the stitching operation is commenced the bar 16 first rises to carry the lower needle 9 up through the butonhole slit and during this movement the nose58 wipes by the cam projection 56 withoutmoving the part 50, the spring 59 permitting this operation. When the bar 16 descends,'however, to withdraw the under needle 9, thenose 58 will engage the cam projection 56 and because the movement in one direction of the releasing member 55 is limited by the stop 60, the engagement of the nose 58 with the cam projection 56 will force the member 50 bacle wardly into the full line position, Fig. 1, thereby carrying the pin 52 out from under the extension 49 and allowing the spring 36 to move the thread clamp 30 into its operative position. This releasing of the thread clamp occurs just while the needle 4 is being retracted after its first penetrating thrust and in time so that the clamping members 30, 31 will .engageand clamp the end t of needle thread. The end of the needle thread is thus securely held so that the first stitch will beproperly formed,

and moreover, when the buttonhole is finished the projecting end of the needle thread is on the underside of the work where it will not be seen in the finished product.

I/Vhile I have described in some detail a particular embodiment of my invention, yet I wish to make it clear that the'invention is not limited to theconstructional details shown and that the particular shape of the thread-clamping device and the particular means" for operatingit will vary with the type of sewing machine with which the invention is used.

I claim: V

1. In a buttonhole sewing. machine, the

combination with work-holding means, of'

through the'work at the first penetrating thrust of the needle.

2. In a sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of upper threadhandling mechanism carried by said turret,

a thread-clamping element movably carried by said turret, and means to actuate said element upon the commencement of the stitching operation to cause it to clamp against a fixed part of the turret the end 01' the needle thread which is inserted through the work the first penetrating thrust of the needle.

3. In a sewing machine, the combination Hwith work-holding means, of stitclrtorming mechanism including a needle above the work-holding means, an under-thread-handling mechanism beneath said work-holding means, a thread-clamping device beneath the work-holding means and comprising two clamping members which are held separated as the needle makes its first penetrating thrust, and means controlled by the underthread-handling mechanism to close said elampin g members onto the end of the upper thread which is inserted through the work by said first penetrating thrust of the needle.

4, In a sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of stitch-forming mechanism including a needle above the work-holding means and under complemental thread-handling mechanism mounted for bodily turning movement, a pair of threadclamping elements, one of which is fixed relative t the aXis of said turning movement and the other of which is movable toward and from the fixed element and both of which partake of the turning movement of the under thread-handling mechanism, and means to actuate said elements upon com mencementof the stitching operation to cause them to clamp the end of the needle thread which is inserted through the work upon the first penetrating thrust of the needle,

5. In a sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of stitch-forming mechanism including a needle, means for actuating the stitch-forming mechanism, relatively-fixed and movable thread-clamping elements situated below the work-holding means, means rendered operative when the sewing machine is set in operation to separate said clamping elements, a locking device to hold them separated, and means actuated by the operation of the stitchforming mechanism during the formation of the first stitch to release said locking device whereby the clamping elements are closed together and operate to clamp the needle thread beneath the work.

6. In a sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of stitch-forming mechanism including a needle above the work, a spring-actuated thread-clamping device beneath the work-holding means, means rendered operative when the machine is set in operation to open said threadclamping device, a locking device to hold said thread-clamping device open, and means actuated by the operation of the stitch-forming mechanism during the formation of the first stitch to release said lock thereby allowing the clamp to close upon and clamp the end of the needle thread which has been inserted through the Work.

7. In a sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, 01"- stitch-forming mechanism including a needle above the work, a spring-actuated thread-clamping device beneath the work-holding means, means rendered operative when the machine is set in operation to open said threadclamping device, locking means to hold said thread-clamping device open, and means actuated by the operation of the stitch-forming mechanism during the formation of the first stitch to release said locking means as the needle is withdrawn, thereby to allow the clamp to close upon and clamp the end of the needle thread which has been inserted through the work.

8. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with buttonhole-cutting mechanism, of stitch-forming mechanism includmg a needle operating above the work, a thread-clan'iping device beneath the work, means actuated by the cutting mechanism to open the clamping device, and means to close said device onto the end of the needle thread which is inserted through the Work by the first penetrating thrust of the needle.

9. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of buttonhole-cutting mechanism, stitch-form ing mechanism including a needle operating from above the work-holding means, and means beneath the work-holding means and rendered operative by the buttonhole-cutting mechanism to seize and hold the end of the needle thread which is inserted through the work at the first penetrating thrustot the needle.

10. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of buttonhole-cutting means, stitch-forming mechanism including a needle operating from above the work, thread-clamping means beneath the work-holding means and comprising relatively movable clamping members, means actuated by the buttonhole-- cutting mechanism to open the clamping members prior to the beginning of the stitching operation, and means to close said clamping members on to the end of the needle thread which is inserted through the work at the first penetrating thrust of the needle.

11. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the

combination with Work-holding means, of

buttonhole-cutting mechanism, stitch-forming mechanlsm including a needle operatlng -from above the WOIK, thread-clamping means beneath the Work-holding means and comprislng relatlvely movable clamping members, means actuated by the buttonholev cutting mechanism to open the clamping members prior to the beginning of the stitchmg operatlon, and means actuated by the stitch forming mechanism to close said clamping members onto the end of the a needle thread which is inserted through the work at the first penetrating thrust of the needle.

T 12. In a buttonhole SBWHIO machlne, the combination With Work-holding means, of

; buttonhole-cutting mechanism, stitch-forming mechanism including a needle operating ing movement with the under thread-ham dhng mechanism and comprising relat1ve1y movable clamplng members, means actuated by the cutting mechanism to open the clamping members prior to the beginning of the.

stitching operation, means actuated by the' stitch-fo-rming mechanism during the formation of the first stitchto close said clamping members onto the needle thread which 7 is inserted through the Workat the first penetrating thrust of the needle. a

In testlmony whereof, I, have signed myname to this specification.

FRANK ZALESKI.

Ccples of this patent may be obteined for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C." a 

